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N5Lesson notes · Oct 4, 2026

Homework in Japanese: 宿題しゅくだい (しゅくだい), 宿題しゅくだいを出だす, and the business 宿題しゅくだい

"Homework" in Japanese is 宿題しゅくだい (しゅくだい). You do homework with 宿題しゅくだいをする, a teacher gives it with 宿題しゅくだいを出だす, and you hand it in with 宿題しゅくだいを出だす or, more formally, 提出ていしゅつする (ていしゅつする). At university, assignments are usually called 課題かだい (かだい).

宿題しゅくだい is a word every learner meets in the first month, often because a teacher just assigned some. The noun is simple. The verbs around it are where the interest is, because Japanese uses 出だす, "to put out", for both giving homework and handing it in. And outside school, 宿題しゅくだい has a second life in business meetings, where it means "something I'll take away and get back to you on". This post covers both.

How do you use 宿題しゅくだい in Japanese?

How do you say "do homework"?

Say 宿題しゅくだいをする or, more casually, 宿題しゅくだいをやる. Both mean "to do homework"; やる is a little more casual and very common among students.

今いまから宿題しゅくだいをします。 — I'm going to do my homework now. (polite, telling someone your plans) 宿題しゅくだい、もうやった? — Did you already do the homework? (casual, a classic question between classmates)

The kanji are worth a look: 宿やど means "lodging" or "a place you stay", and 題だい means "topic" or "problem". A handy way to remember it: homework is a problem that stays with you overnight.

How do teachers give homework?

Teachers 宿題しゅくだいを出だす, literally "put out homework". 出だす is the standard verb for assigning homework, and students complain about it with the passive, 宿題しゅくだいを出だされた.

先生せんせいが宿題しゅくだいをたくさん出だしました。 — The teacher gave a lot of homework. (polite, describing the class) 今日きょうも宿題しゅくだいを出だされた……。 — We got homework again today... (casual, the passive adds "and I didn't like it")

The passive with an annoyed feeling is common in student talk. If you want to see why the passive can sound like a complaint, see the Japanese passive form.

How do you say "hand in homework"?

Students also 宿題しゅくだいを出だす, "put out" their homework to the teacher. In formal language, the verb is 提出ていしゅつする (ていしゅつする), "to submit". The same verb, 出だす, works for both directions, and context tells you who is giving what.

明日あしたまでに宿題しゅくだいを出だしてください。 — Please hand in your homework by tomorrow. (polite, a teacher's instruction) レポートは金曜日きんようびまでに提出ていしゅつしてください。 — Please submit the report by Friday. (formal, a university or office instruction)

〜までに means "by" a deadline. It is different from まで, "until"; we explain that pair in から and まで.

How do you say "I forgot my homework"?

Say 宿題しゅくだいを忘わすれました, which can mean either "I forgot to do it" or "I forgot to bring it". Japanese does not split these, and the classic school excuse is the same in both cases.

すみません、宿題しゅくだいを忘わすれました。 — Sorry, I forgot my homework. (polite, to a teacher) 宿題しゅくだいを家いえに忘わすれてきた。 — I left my homework at home. (casual, 忘わすれてくる means "forget and come without")

What other homework words should you know?

What is the difference between 宿題しゅくだい and 課題かだい?

宿題しゅくだい is homework in school. 課題かだい (かだい) is an assignment or task, especially at university or work. 課題かだい also means "challenge" or "issue" in general: 今後こんごの課題かだい is "a challenge for the future".

大学だいがくの課題かだいが多おおくて大変たいへんです。 — I have so many university assignments; it's tough. (polite, a student's complaint) 発音はつおんがこれからの課題かだいです。 — Pronunciation is my challenge from here on. (polite, about learning goals)

The second sentence is useful in a language lesson: it says what you plan to work on next.

What does レポート mean in Japanese?

In Japanese, レポート usually means a written assignment or essay at university, not a news report. This is a classic false friend. A レポート for a class might be a five-page essay on a topic.

明日あしたまでにレポートを書かかなきゃ。 — I have to write my essay by tomorrow. (casual, stressed student)

For more borrowed words that changed meaning, see wasei-eigo.

What is 夏休なつやすみの宿題しゅくだい?

夏休なつやすみの宿題しゅくだい is summer vacation homework, a big part of school life in Japan. It often includes a 自由研究じゆうけんきゅう (じゆうけんきゅう), "independent research project", and a 読書感想文どくしょかんそうぶん (どくしょかんそうぶん), "book report". In anime, the last days of summer vacation with a pile of unfinished homework is a familiar scene.

夏休なつやすみの宿題しゅくだいが全然ぜんぜん終おわってない! — I haven't finished my summer homework at all! (casual, panic at the end of August)

What does 宿題しゅくだいを写うつす mean?

写うつす (うつす) means "to copy", and 宿題しゅくだいを写うつす is copying someone else's homework. It is the other classic school scene: one student begging another for their notebook.

お願ねがい、宿題しゅくだい見みせて! — Please, let me see your homework! (casual, begging a classmate) 宿題しゅくだいを写うつすのはだめだよ。 — You shouldn't copy homework. (casual, the responsible friend)

Beyond the basics

What does 宿題しゅくだいにさせてください mean at work?

In business, 宿題しゅくだいにさせてください means "Let me take that away and get back to you." Here 宿題しゅくだい is not schoolwork. It is a question you cannot answer on the spot, which you take home like homework.

その件けんは宿題しゅくだいにさせてください。 — Let me take that point away and get back to you. (polite, business meeting) 前回ぜんかいの宿題しゅくだいですが、確認かくにんできました。 — About the item I took away last time, I've checked it. (polite, following up)

This is a very natural, slightly informal-sounding business phrase. It is softer than saying "I don't know", and it promises a follow-up. In a lesson, you can use it too: if a question is too hard, 宿題しゅくだいにしてもいいですか? means "Can I think about it and answer next time?"

How do you ask what the homework is?

Ask 宿題しゅくだいは何なんですか?, "What's the homework?", or 宿題しゅくだいはありますか?, "Is there homework?"

今日きょうの宿題しゅくだいは何なんですか? — What's today's homework? (polite, at the end of class) 宿題しゅくだいはありますか? — Is there any homework? (polite, checking)

The answer often includes a page range: 10ページから15ページまで, "from page 10 to page 15".

Quick reference

Phrase Reading Meaning Who says it
宿題しゅくだいをする / やる しゅくだいをする / やる to do homework students
宿題しゅくだいを出だす しゅくだいをだす to give / hand in homework teachers and students
提出ていしゅつする ていしゅつする to submit formal, university, work
宿題しゅくだいを忘わすれる しゅくだいをわすれる to forget homework students, with an apology
課題かだい かだい assignment; challenge university, work
レポート — university essay students
宿題しゅくだいを写うつす しゅくだいをうつす to copy homework students, guiltily
宿題しゅくだいにさせてください しゅくだいにさせてください let me get back to you business meetings

Common mistakes

  • Saying 宿題しゅくだいを作つくる for "do homework". 作つくる means "make". Use する or やる.
  • Saying 宿題しゅくだいをあげる for a teacher giving homework. The natural verb is 出だす.
  • Translating レポート as a news report. In school Japanese, it is an essay or written assignment.
  • Using まで for a deadline. "By tomorrow" is 明日あしたまでに, with に.
  • Using 宿題しゅくだい for a university assignment in formal writing. 課題かだい sounds more appropriate there.

Practice

Try each answer before opening it. Questions 3 and 4 are a pair: the same verb 出だす, in two directions.

1. Say "I'm going to do my homework now" politely.

Show answer

今いまから宿題しゅくだいをします。 — 宿題しゅくだいをする is "do homework". やる works too, more casually.

2. Ask a classmate casually, "Did you already do the homework?"

Show answer

宿題しゅくだい、もうやった? — もう means "already", and やった is the casual past of やる.

3. Say "The teacher gave a lot of homework."

Show answer

先生せんせいが宿題しゅくだいをたくさん出だしました。 — teachers 宿題しゅくだいを出だす, "put out" homework.

4. As the teacher, say "Please hand in your homework by tomorrow."

Show answer

明日あしたまでに宿題しゅくだいを出だしてください。 — students also 出だす their homework. This is the pair to question 3.

5. Apologize to a teacher: "Sorry, I forgot my homework."

Show answer

すみません、宿題しゅくだいを忘わすれました。 — it covers both forgetting to do it and forgetting to bring it.

6. In a university email, how do you say "submit the report"?

Show answer

レポートを提出ていしゅつする — 提出ていしゅつする is the formal verb for submitting.

7. What does レポート usually mean for a Japanese university student?

Show answer

A written assignment or essay — not a news report.

8. Say "Pronunciation is my challenge from here on."

Show answer

発音はつおんがこれからの課題かだいです。 — 課題かだい can mean "challenge" or "issue" as well as "assignment".

9. In a meeting, you cannot answer a question now. How do you say "Let me get back to you"?

Show answer

宿題しゅくだいにさせてください。 — in business, 宿題しゅくだい is a question you take away and answer later.

10. A classmate says お願ねがい、宿題しゅくだい見みせて! What do they want?

Show answer

To see (probably copy) your homework. — 見みせて is "show me", and 宿題しゅくだいを写うつす is the copying they likely have in mind.

In a 30-minute trial lesson, ask me for homework with 宿題しゅくだいを出だしてください and tell me about a 宿題しゅくだい you are carrying home from work.

FAQ

How do you say "homework" in Japanese? 宿題しゅくだい (しゅくだい). "Do homework" is 宿題しゅくだいをする or 宿題しゅくだいをやる.

How do you say "I did my homework"? 宿題しゅくだいをしました (polite) or 宿題しゅくだい、やった (casual).

What is the difference between 宿題しゅくだい and 課題かだい? 宿題しゅくだい is homework, mainly at school. 課題かだい is an assignment at university or work, and it also means "challenge" in general.

Is 宿題しゅくだい used in business Japanese? Yes, in the phrase 宿題しゅくだいにさせてください, "let me take that away and get back to you". It means a follow-up task, not schoolwork.

What is 自由研究じゆうけんきゅう? An independent research project, usually part of summer vacation homework in Japanese schools.

How do I ask my teacher about homework? 宿題しゅくだいはありますか? (Is there homework?) or 今日きょうの宿題しゅくだいは何なんですか? (What is today's homework?)

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

宿題	しゅくだい — homework
出す	だす — to give out; to hand in
提出する	ていしゅつする — to submit
課題	かだい — assignment; challenge
レポート	レポート — university essay, written assignment
夏休み	なつやすみ — summer vacation
自由研究	じゆうけんきゅう — independent research project
読書感想文	どくしょかんそうぶん — book report
写す	うつす — to copy
忘れる	わすれる — to forget
発音	はつおん — pronunciation
先生	せんせい — teacher
大学	だいがく — university

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime. 宿題しゅくだい is one of the classroom words beginners pick up early, often alongside 教科書きょうかしょ and ノート, and the business 宿題しゅくだい is a phrase I enjoy showing more advanced learners because it surprises them. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or try the Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference dictionaries.

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